Un buen libro de cocina

A GOOD COOKBOOK
* The overall tone of a cookbook is rather like architecture: You respond to it whether or not you’re aware of it
* A conversational tone can also takethe anxiety out of cooking something that is generally thought of as difficult.
* What speaks are cookbooks that almost subconsciously teach how to understand food, and whatflavors and ingredients work together.
* The author must convince, for instance, why his or her recipe for a particular meal is better, or more interesting, than all theothers that exist in the world.
* The author should evoke a sense of place, and above all, evoke how people live.
* Often, the unsung star of the show is what causes youto stop and read a recipe in the first place: its title.
* Capture the essence of a specific moment, for instance, a hot summer day. Eg: Thin-Sliced Cucumbers Marinated inSugar and White Vinegar,” “Skillet Scallions,” and “Blueberry Cake with Blueberry Sauce”
* Give you a sense of what a dish should taste like with a few well-chosenwords—“Chicken Breasts Baked on a Bed of Wild Mushrooms,” “Creamy Pasta Sauce with Fresh Herbs,” “American Picnic Potato Salad.”
* An imaginative cookbook might lead to a novel, “Cut thecauliflowers into small handsome tufts, boil them until three parts done, and drain them well,” Eliza writes. “…When they are quite cold, dip them separately into the batter …fry them a light brown, arrange them neatly in a dish, and serve them very hot.” This way, you know you are in the hands of a friendy, capable cook, yet you don’t feel bossedaround.
* We all want to learn something, after all, but writing that’s full of intimidation—or, worse, condescension—can drive a person out of the kitchen in no time flat.